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I'm Thankful for Some Fun

The new issue of Gold Man Review is now available, and includes my poem “Taste of Temptation.” I really love the cover. That shark fin makes me so happy. Yesterday, at my parents’ house after attending a family friend’s memorial, I glanced through a bookshelf in my childhood bedroom that my parents keep insisting was mine, but I say was my bother’s. Turns out there were books that were mine, my…

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Find the Joy in Grief and the Hope in Despair

I thought I was exhausted from Writober, but it turned out I just needed the election to be over, or perhaps both. I unplugged yesterday, and didn’t peek at the results until kitty was curled up next to me, I had delicious baked plums to fill my empty belly, and cocoa-coffee to wash it down. Maybe it’s just that the sun came out, and even though the construction started at 6:50 am, I was already…

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November Expectations

Writober Recap This Writober was a huge success. Thank you everyone who participated, linking up their images, poems, and stories. Your work was intriguing, thought provoking, entertaining, and fun. And you kept me inspired to keep working every day. Congratulations to Circe of Baldacchino di Perla, ladyleemanila, Carol anne at Therapy Bits, and A.M. Moscoso at My Enduring Bones for the scary…

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The Writober Finale

Fighting the Fear of Death by Maria L. Berg 2024 These are my responses to the final Writober prompt post Fear of Death. OctPoWriMo Living With Fear of DeathColor of the distant object deceivesThe slice of cloud dismembered from the skybecomes filthy while falling and floating byThe dead end road ends abruptlyI can’t taste the poison but it’s thereI will never hear his voice and not feel…

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Cruel Acts

Fear of an Act of God by Maria L. Berg 2024 These are my responses to the Writober prompt post Fear of Acts of God. OctPoWriMo When They Blame God I can’t imagine how peopleblamed the city, everyone inthe city for being hit by a hurricane, but they did.So many said we deserved itfor our beliefs and our actions.Some said that God was punishing usbut aren’t we all victims of acts of God? Do…

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Fear of Acts of God

Welcome back for the thirtieth day of Writober. We are in our final days looking at the fifth universal fear: fear of extinction. Today, we’re looking at Acts of God, storms and other large events that are out of our control. Fear of Acts of God by Maria L. Berg 2022 Fear of Acts of God is the same as fear of bad luck, similar to fear of fate or destiny, but I mostly see it as fear of bad…

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Predator Attack

Fear of Predators by Maria L. Berg 2024 These are my responses to the Writober prompt post Fear of Predators. OctPoWriMo Predation I am the field mouse runningthrough the tall grass underthe sliver moon’s pencil lightEach push or pull changingpressure above me is a hungry winged monsterI zig-zag. I serpentine.So many eyes like search-lightscriss-cross this prairieHere it comes, the swoopI’m…

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Fear of Predators

Welcome back for the twenty-ninth day of Writober. We are in our final days looking at the fifth universal fear: fear of extinction. Today we’re looking at fear of predators. Fear of Predators by Maria L. Berg 2023 Fear of predators is hard-wired into the human psyche from cave man days, but today, a human is as likely to be the predator as a bear or mountain lion, or more so depending on where…

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The Path to Extinction

Fear of Extinction by Maria L. Berg 2024 These are my responses to the Writober prompt post Fear of Extinction. OctPoWriMo The Doomsday Clock at Midnight We are starlightOnce seen, we are already dying We are leavesmost colorful when falling We are echoeswhen heard, long since said Writober Flash Fiction The Power of Words Melinda curled into her knees, shivering on the floor in her…

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Fear of Extinction

Welcome back for the twenty-eighth day of Writober. The month has flown by like a ghost-witch on a rocket-powered broom, and here we are in our final days looking at the fifth universal fear: fear of extinction. The big fear, the fear that rules them all death, master of the fear of the unknown. Fear of Extinction by Maria L. Berg 2024 Fear of extinction is not only the fear of death, but…

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Losing Sense

Fear of Losing a Sense by Maria L. Berg 2024 These are my responses to the Writober prompt post Fear of Loss of a Sense. OctPoWriMo Fear of Losing My Senses If I couldn’t hear his purrsmorning cuddles would be likemushy-mashed-peas-with-body- odor after three days If I couldn’t feel his soft furmorning cuddles would be likecar-horns-blaring-bitter-neon-green motor-oil If I couldn’t see his…

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Fear of Loss of a Sense

Welcome back for the twenty-seventh day of Writober. It’s Sunday, and the last day we’ll be looking at the universal fear of loss of a sense. Loss of Sense by Maria L. Berg 2024 Fear of loss of a sense to most, I think, would instantly be the fear of losing sight, but what about not being able to hear, or feel touch? My father lost his sense of smell, and can’t taste anything (a package deal).…

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Parasitic Clarity

Fear of Parasites by Maria L. Berg 2024 These are my responses to the Writober prompt post Fear of Parasites. OctPoWriMo I started a poem that grew with each line like a parasitic tapeworm, but I like the Clarity Pyramid form so much, I wrote one of those to share instead. FEARof allparasites tiniest monstersslip into our systemsfeeding on us to our demise “he says he recalls memory…

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Fear of Parasites

Welcome back for the twenty-sixth day of Writober. During this fourth week we’re exploring the universal fear of mutilation. Today we’re looking at fear of parasites. Fear of Parasites by Maria L. Berg 2021 A parasite is an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense. Many great horror movies like the Alien…

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Torture Chamber

A Fear of Torture by Maria L. Berg 2024 These are my responses to the Writober prompt post Fear of Torture. OctPoWriMo But to What Specific Purpose? It’s broken, and I can’t fix itThis complicated warning systemmeant to keep me from harmhas too many switches stuck onfiring and firing its alarmsbut like the broken light switchin the hall, they flicker, sendingnew jolts to the already…

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Fear of Torture

Welcome back for the twenty-fifth day of Writober. During this fourth week we’re exploring the universal fear of mutilation. Today we’re looking at fear of torture. Fear of Torture by Maria L. Berg 2024 Amnesty International put out this video about their efforts to stop torture around the world: Though I find the title “Torture Animation” off-putting, the message about the reality of fear of…

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Being Dismembered